I applaud Wednesday’s federal appeals court ruling which has found Texas' voter identification law to be what we've known all along - discriminatory.

This ruling is also a stark reminder of the terrible decision made by the Supreme Court to gut an essential element of the Voting Rights Act when it eliminated preclearance, which required certain states to have Justice Department approval before changing their voting laws.

It comes as no surprise that new and stringent voter ID requirements have spread throughout the country since the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Wednesday’s ruling, though, as well as other similar appeals court rulings, confirm that the Supreme Court's action and the actions of states implementing oppressive voter ID laws, are wrong.

No one in the United States should ever win an election by denying or suppressing the vote. This decision underscores the notion that the fundamental right to vote must always be protected.